Recently, a service providing system in which a client is allowed to execute a function that the client does not have by requesting for execution of the function from a server connected to the client through a network has been proposed. An example of such a system is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. HEI 9-238215 (hereafter, referred to as JP HEI 9-238215A). In the system disclosed in JP HEI 9-238215A, a digital copying device requests execution of an image processing function from a host computer.
In the service providing system, if the functions of the server are modified, for example, by adding a new function to the server, information on the modified part of the functions is notified from the server to the client, so that the client is able to allow a user to selectively register one of the functions into the client. That is, one of the functions requested by a user is registered into the client, and then the client becomes able to attain the selected function through the server.
However, the above mentioned service providing system has a drawback that the server is not able to provide a service to the client responsive to change of specifications of the client (e.g., addition of a print option to the client or change of a sheet cassette). That's because the server is not able to recognize the change of specifications of the client. If the change of the specifications of the client is not appropriately notified to the server, the client may fail to receive an appropriate service from the server.
Although in such a case the client is able to appropriately receive a service from the server by adjusting settings regarding the specifications of the client in accordance with information relating to the provided service each time the client receives the service. However, such an adjusting operation of the settings of the client is very troublesome for a user.
With regard to a service providing manner in which a service is provided for a client when a server becomes able to provide the service, the timing for providing a service for the client varies depending on a state of the server. Therefore, it is difficult for the user of the client to adjust settings of the client to an appropriate state each time the service is provided from the server to the client.
In addition, in order to receive a service from the server appropriately, the user needs to have a good knowledge of the entire specifications of the client and a good knowledge about how to adjust the settings regarding the specifications of the client to appropriately receive a service from the server. It is understood that users do not necessarily have the above mentioned knowledge. In addition, a user operation for adjusting the settings regarding the specifications of the client becomes a heavy burden on a user.